American Airlines is piloting a new tech system to deal with one of the biggest pests for travelers: people who cut in line when boarding a flight.
Gate lice. Passengers who engage in this universally annoying practice are known as “gate lice.” They’re the people who try to board before their assigned group is called by sneaking in with another group.
There are many reasons for this behavior, from general nervousness and people trying to secure limited overhead bin space to those who want to make sure they don’t lose their seat to overbooking.
“You’ve got a lot more line cutters today than you used to because there’s now a benefit from boarding early that there didn’t used to be,” Scott Keyes, the founder of Going.com, an affordable travel app, told The New York Times.
While it might just seem like bad traveler etiquette, this behavior can actually complicate the boarding process and create longer wait times and confusion. Enter the bad cop.
Not human, but tech. Notably, the bad cop in question isn’t human, but tech. The new system emits an audible signal when passengers try to cut in line, alerting the gate agent and other passengers. American Airlines said that passengers identified by the system will not be allowed to board and will be sent back to their correct group.
The airline is testing the system at airports in New Mexico, Arizona, and Virginia. Although the system is in an early trial phase, American Airlines told the Associated Press that it’s pleased with the results so far.
“The new technology is designed to ensure customers receive the benefits of priority boarding with ease and helps improve the boarding experience by providing greater visibility into boarding progress for our team,” American Airlines said.
Exceptions. There are some exceptions to the system, such as when a passenger is traveling with a someone who has a higher status with the airline. In those cases, American Airlines said gate agents can override the system and allow the passenger to pass.
Passenger reactions. Some travelers on social media seemed to respond positively to the new system, while others wondered why it hadn’t been in place before. Over on Reddit, one user called for “[m]ore public shaming please.”
On the problem on gate lice in general, though, some people blamed the airlines, calling them “greedy.”
“It’s a result of airline policy. They charge silly prices for checked bags, which encourages folks to carry in their stuff. They allow every single ticketed person a [carry on]. Then they have planes without enough space for each passenger to have a carry on. Then you mix in the specter that the seat you have could somehow be lost when you go to board because they overbooked,” another Reddit user said. “Of course there will be gate lice.”
Image | ERIC SALARD
View 0 comments